#las vegas

2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada - 5th February 2022

RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS

CHAPTER 2: NIGHTLESS CASTLE IN THE DESERT

*List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun
Raws: Ridia

Two men were looking at each other in the dry desert.

One was stripped to the waist, and though his woolen hat had fallen off, his eyes still held uncontrollable anger.

One person was leaning against the seat of the white truck, wearing an annoyed smile that seemed to enjoy his anger rather than anything else.

Misaki Yata and Saruhiko Fushimi. The two men looked at each other in the brilliant heat.

“Yata-san! I’m glad I finally found you!”

Suddenly, a voice echoed from behind the vehicle.

Yata opened his eyes and looked over there. There was a familiar face in the back seat of the boxcar. Akagi, Dewa, Fujishima, the people who were supposed to be in Japan leaned forward with joy.

Bando muttered in astonishment.

“Shohei? Why are you here…?”

“Ah, San-chan! No, actually there are several things.”

“Hey.”

Fushimi coldly interrupted the conversation. With a knife look at the backseat, as if he was throwing it.

“This story comes first. Don’t get in the way, San-chan.”

Akagi was full of words, and Yata felt anger rise from his temples.

“There’s no reason for me to tell the traitor. Bastard. What did you come for, Saru?”

A teasing smile appeared on Fushimi’s mouth.

“It’s a job. Unlike you, who have free time, I’m a civil servant here. I have to go on a business trip abroad.”

“Because you are a dog in blue, will you come to America if a bone is thrown at you? It is not like a monkey. There is no such possibility that you pass through here, what is the purpose?”

Fushimi’s smile deepened. With his elbows on the window, he brought his face closer to Yata’s.

“Is it a situation where you can say that? Think about your position with me now and say it properly.”

“……”

Yata clenched his fist tightly.

The California sun was burning his neck. The dry wind evaporated the sweat in the blink of an eye and mercilessly deprived the body of water. In fact, Eric was dehydrated and fell. If he was left as he was, there was no doubt that he would fall into a serious situation.

“I’ll say it again, Misaki. If you ask someone for something, there’s a way to say it, right?”

Yata is the captain of “Homura”. It was definitely himself who intervened in this situation. So he had to be the one to take responsibility.

Yata bowed his head as he bit his lip.

“…Saru. Ask. I’m begging you. At this rate, Eric will die if you don’t help him.”

“……”

Fushimi’s facial expression had changed to something that looked bored.

5 seconds or 10 seconds. Fushimi lightly squeezed his chin after a choked silence.

“Get him in the back. There’s water in the car.”

Yata looked back and nodded. Bando and Chitose carried Eric, and Kamamoto, who had come to his senses, hurriedly opened the back seat door. Fujishima, who was inside, laid Eric down in the car and doused his lips with water from a plastic bottle.

After seeing Kamamoto board, Yata returned to Fushimi. Fushimi looked at him suspiciously.

“What are you doing? Get in quick.”

“I won’t go up.”

A voice hard as steel bounced off the words.

“The reason I bowed down was for you to help them. I won’t go up. I’ll stay here.”

Surprised, Kamamoto and the others stuck their faces out the window and shouted.

“What are you talking about, Yata-san?!”

“You’re going to stay here; do you really want to die?!”

Yata didn’t reply to that, but looked at Fushimi. He held the “Homura” mark that was on his left collarbone as if he was scratching it.

“I still can’t forgive you for desecrating this pride, Saruhiko. It’s better to hang out here than lay my head on a traitor and survive.”

Fushimi narrowed his eyes and muttered coldly.

“…So is.”

He turns forward and lift the window. The engine roared and the vehicle began to move slowly. A member in the car yelled to stop Fushimi, but he silently continued to press the accelerator. In the blink of an eye, the vehicle sped up and sped off, finally disappearing beyond the horizon.

Yata wiped away the sweat and started walking again.

++++++++++

How much time had passed since then?

The bright sunlight did not weaken, and the heat and dryness gradually drained Yata of his physical strength. As Yata walked down the road, he turned his grudge against the sky. The sky in California was as blue as black, and no clouds could be found anywhere.

At that time, he was about to lose the strength of his body and wanted to lie down on the road. Each time, Yata shook his head and berated himself. He couldn’t die in a place like that. Anyway, he had to join the “Homura” members and play hard in Las Vegas. Good rice. Overflowing money. By the way, he would punch Fushimi in the face…

Yata stabbed his knee on the spot.

“Damn.”

Consciousness was stunned. The field of vision was blurred. Desperately shaking off the thoughts that seemed to arise so far, Yata looked past the road that swayed in the heat.

Something was shining on the road.

At first, Yata paid no attention to him. He thought the bumpers and empty cans that had slipped were just reflecting light. Instead, he had to move to survive.

As he got closer, it became clear what was glowing.

It was a PET bottle.

Yata opened his eyes and approached with an unbelievable expression. When he picked up the PET bottle, he could feel the heavy weight in his hand.

As he held his breath, he opened the lid, placed it to his lips, and tilted.

Viscous water flowed into the dry mouth.

Even if he became slimy, it seemed to Yata like the finest sweet dew. He stopped thinking and swallowed hard, snorting. As the water level dropped by half, Yata suddenly returned to sanity. He couldn’t drink it all. He didn’t know when he could rehydrate next time. He had to save it in order to survive.

Yata hit his cheek with both hands.

“Ok!”

The relief of surviving restored vitality to the withered legs. Yata started walking down the road again as he carefully grabbed the plastic bottle with both hands.

Suddenly, he turned his gaze forward.

The road was flooded with strong sunlight. The water in the plastic bottle he bathed in was lukewarm but not rotten. That means it hadn’t been long since it hit the ground.

Until now, there hadn’t been any cars that had passed on that road other than that white van.

That’s what he believed.

So who dropped that plastic bottle?

As the color of the sky changed from purple to ultramarine and the stars began to flutter in the sky, Yata heard the sound.

Sound of an engine. A car was running.

With the expression that he was finally saved, Yata raised his hands and tried to stop the car with his whole body. It was not necessary. The truck slowed down and stopped well in front of Yata. The driver jumped.

Not that he didn’t expect this situation. Still, his English did not come out. Yata desperately spoke, moving his tangled tongue and his head forcefully.

“Ah, uh…hell! Help, too! Aim…um…um, come on, Las Vegas!”

“Las Vegas?”

“Oh, yeah! Las Vegas! Las Vegas!”

The driver blinked. He had a deeply carved face and dark skin. He shook his head and asked questions.

“Chinese? Japanese?”

The word Japanese was barely audible. Yata nodded many times,

“Ah, yes! So, Japanese!”

“Oh!”

The driver smiled and gave a thumbs up with his right hand out.

“Japanese! Nostalgic! Well, get on!”

Yata stared in astonishment at his right hand wrapped in black gloves. However, he immediately grasped the situation and quickly made his way to the passenger seat. As he sat down on the seat, he was thankful for his unexpected luck.

“Ah, thanks! Thanks, man! You really saved me!”

“Hahaha! No problem! It’s a bit tight in here though!”

With a cheerful smile, the driver hit the steering wheel and immediately started the car. Yata hurriedly closed the door and fastened his seat belt. The driver looked at Yata out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

“Boy, what’s your name?”

The usual Yata would have been angry at being treated like a child, but of course that kind of anger had not increased now. He answers honestly.

“It’s Yata. Misaki Yata. What about you?”

“Edward! Call me Ed!”

“Well, Ed. No, thank you very much. If I had stayed like this, I would have been really dry or frozen.”

Shaking himself off, Yata turned his gaze out the window. That heat was like a lie, and it was cold at night. Even if he managed to escape dry death, he might have frozen to death if Ed hadn’t passed by.

“You walked through Death Valley, the Japanese have guts.”

Yata smiled bitterly at the familiar word “guts” coming from foreigners.

“Ed is incredibly good at Japanese. Have you been there?”

“Yes! I lived there! It’s nostalgic, my young days, it was more than 10 years ago.”

“Hey… is it work?”

“Hmm, well, that kind of kanji? What about Misaki? Why are you going to Las Vegas?”

“That’s a long story! Listen!”

Yata began to speak as if he had cut a dam. He desperately works part-time to save money and try to travel abroad for the first time with all his friends, but the destination was Los Cabos, and the van they got in to cross the border cheaply was actually from an illegal immigrant. That’s it, and Yata suddenly stopped talking.

“Really?”

Ed’s eyes widened as if he was surprised. Yata believed that he was in trouble. He talks too much, maybe they’ll take him to the police, he wondered if he should cheat, but when he thought so much, Ed burst out laughing.

“Hahahahaha! Misaki, you! The Japanese have guts, I love them!”

“Well… really?”

“Yes! And I’m a friend too! Because I’m a foreigner too, it’s okay!”

He said something out of the ordinary. Ed shrugged happily at Yata, who was scared.

“I was not born in the United States in the first place. Mexico! From Mexico to Nihon to Fuhonukoku, then from Nihon to the United States to Fuhonukoku. Ok! You rarely see a Japanese! Ordinary Japanese is not that crazy!”

Apparently, this guy named Ed seemed to be pretty tough. Perhaps he noticed Yata’s confusion when he replied, “Uh, oh…”. Ed casually got back on topic.

“And then, did you go to Las Vegas? You’re not having such a bad time; can you go home on your way?”

“Well, that is…”

Then Yata suddenly stopped talking.

“Why did you want to go to Las Vegas?”

Anna won the ticket for the tour and everyone decided to go. Aside from Anna and Suoh, Kusanagi and Totsuka weren’t dissatisfied with the fact that they were going. Since there were only four tickets, it was only natural that there were only four people in the end.

What he was really unsatisfied with was that they couldn’t go together.

Therefore, Yata was burned. He tried to go to Las Vegas with all the instructions so that everyone could go. Those who didn’t want to go couldn’t be helped, but at least Kamamoto, Bando and Chitose agreed with Yata’s philosophy. Doing a black part-time job, suffering all kinds of problems, the passion to go beyond the desert was born there.

Where he got stuck.

“I think because I have friends.”

That was it.

Ed looked at Yata. Embarrassed, Yata scratched his cheek. But Ed didn’t make fun of him or make a fool of him. With a bitter smile on his mouth, he nodded deeply.

“I see. Friends are important. I get it.”

Yata was a bit surprised and looked at Ed. Ed smiled, but his gaze seemed to be somewhere far away. Yata stopped talking, thinking that he might be remembering his “friends”. Everyone has memories they want to treasure.

Looking out the window again, Yata noted the change.

Before he knew it, the desolate desert was over. The two-lane highway had changed to four lanes, and beyond that, it was even wider. The volume of traffic was also different from before, and SUVs and sports cars were beginning to be seen here and there, mixed with large trucks and wagons.

In the distance, the night sky lit up brilliantly.

Ed walked over laughing to Yata, who opened his mouth halfway and looked at him.

“About time to arrive. The proud jewels of America’s Nevada. Welcome to Las Vegas!”

++++++++++

This city is full of colors and light.

No matter where you look, neon lights and lightning will be reflected in your field of vision. Bright reds, poisonous purples, luxurious whites, and golds shimmer throughout, and it’s a bit of a flicker for the eyes after a long plane ride.

If you look into the distance, the sky lights up brightly. Perhaps looking down from space, the city must appear to be a dome of light that drives out the darkness. Simply “City without night”. Kusanagi and his friends have landed in Las Vegas, a city without night.

“Anna. Isn’t it cold?”

Kusanagi called out to Anna’s back as she walked out of the airport and stopped. Anna didn’t react. She opened her mouth and looked at the city that was still shining.

For a moment, Kusanagi felt sorry for Anna.

What they see is different from what Anna sees. Due to a congenital disease, her eyes can only see red. The avalanche of colors that was spreading at that moment seemed vague to him.

Still, Anna seemed amused.

The life she has led until now is very different from that of a normal child. As a Strain, under the patronage of the Red Clan, she doesn’t even go to school. To her, who has lived in the warm, cramped world of Bar HOMRA, the colors of Las Vegas may seem magnificent, if at all.

“Yes, Anna. Take this.”

Totsuka handed Anna a steaming paper cup. It was hot chocolate. Anna grabbed it and took a sip as she looked at the sight in front of her. Her face was smiling.

“Delicious.”

“Yes? Good! It’s a souvenir of my first victory, so feel free to drink!”

Kusanagi was surprised at the word “first victory”.

“Well, Totsuka. Have you already done that?”

“Because there are already slots at the airport? If so, I have no choice but to do it!”

Totsuka made a peace sign and Kusanagi showed a bitter smile on his face.

Surely, as Totsuka says, there are a lot of slot machines installed in the airport baggage claim. Tourists are sucked in like bugs jumping into a moth lantern by a cluster of machines that emit fluffy blue and purple light. It was a suitable setting for the entrance of the casino city.

Totsuka said with a smile as he waved the withdrawal coupon.

“I bet $100 and win $110. Well, the first game goes like this.”

“Was it moderate? No, how did you feel?”

“Looks like I was finally able to quit smoking on the plane, so I said I’d smoke somewhere. Uh…”

Totsuka looked around and solidified. His smile was just as stiff. Seeing that, Kusanagi was caught in an unpleasant premonition.

It quickly came true.

“Kusanagi-san, maybe it’s bad.”

Kusanagi followed Totsuka’s line of sight and also stiffened in the same way.

Suoh was surrounded by security guards.

Even in such a situation, he was truly a personality to calmly smoke cigarettes. However, in a foreign country where words cannot be understood, Suoh’s personality only had the opposite effect. He could see from a distance that the guards were frustrated by that attitude. If Suoh was touched, Suoh would not hesitate: Kusanagi knew too much about the character of the Red King.

“Wait, wait, wait! Mikoto, hold still!”

As he yelled, Kusanagi ran towards them. Anna mysteriously watched his back as she tilted the cup of chocolate.

++++++++++

The truck stopped and Yata landed on the ground from the passenger seat.

“Uh, oh…this is Las Vegas!”

What he saw was a scene that he had only seen in movies and photographs. Heavy stones that make you feel history pile up endlessly towards the sky. Yes, this was the world-famous quadrangular pyramid, the Great Pyramid of Giza, which contained the sublime pharaoh’s coffin.

Why is it in Las Vegas, it shouldn’t be in Egypt of course? Why is the Sphinx sitting instead of the front door? He had many doubts and Yata was amazed. It was decided that this pyramid-shaped hotel would be the inn for Yata and his group during their stay in Las Vegas.

“Over there. It’s famous, the pyramid! I know it too!”

As Ed said, the “pyramid” only seems to reach the locals. If so, this way can be quite useful on its own.

Yata looked back at the truck and gave a thumbs up with a big grin.

“Seriously, thanks, Ed! Thanks to you, I think I can finally join my friends!”

“Hahaha! No problem, Misaki! Say hello to your friends!”

Ed laughed happily too and gave a thumbs up and started the truck. Yata took off his beanie to a friend he met during the trip, he was shaking it until he couldn’t see the truck.

A sudden call came from behind him.

“Yata-san! You’re safe!”

Looking back, Akagi and Bando were about to jump out of the hotel like they were rolling. Yata smiled and opened his arms.

“Oh! Have you guys arrived yet?”

“I arrived at night and then I ran to help Yata-san! Kamamoto-san, Chitose and Dewa are now looking for a rental car or a taxi.”

“Then, it’s alright for you to come back, please contact them! My PDA can’t be used here yet.”

“I understand!”

Bando took out his PDA and began to make a phone call. As he glanced sideways, Yata asked Akagi.

“How’s Eric?”

“He’s sleeping in the room right now. I’ve seen a doctor, but it seems his life isn’t in danger since it’s mild heat stroke, and if he gets a night’s rest, he’ll recover soon. Fujishima is taking care of him, so I think he’ll be fine.”

“Oh! I’m glad…”

Yata exhaled deeply. If you get injured or sick due to your own poor driving, you can’t really enjoy traveling. After deciding to check on the situation later, Yata looked up at the top of the pyramid.

For a while, after looking at this, Yata opened his mouth.

“What happened to that guy?”

It seems that he just came up with it. Akagi shook his head, looking up.

“When he brought us here, he left early. He had a job to do.”

“I work…? Well, why did you come to this place in the first place? Also, with you?”

At that question, Akagi scratched his head as if he was weakened.

“I don’t really get that either. When he was out, he suddenly came over and asked me where King was.”

“Mikoto-san…?”

Yata’s facial expression turned steep. “Scepter 4”, where Fushimi belongs, is an organization that has a skirmish with “Homura”. If such a person was looking for a “King” at work, he could not have been calm.

Akagi continued to explain in a traceable manner.

“When I said he was going to Las Vegas, he started contacting somewhere. So, we were on the sidelines too, so he told me to follow him and they put me in the car, and by the time I knew it, I was on a plane.”

“Huh?! Guys, the Blues are our enemies! They told those guys where Mikoto-san is, and that’s why you guys got trapped?!”

When Yata got angry, Akagi shrugged and Bando, who had ended the call, said something.

“It’s different, Yata-san. Fushimi said that Mikoto-san is in danger. If he tells them that, Shohei and his friends can’t just hold his fingers and look at him, right?”

Agitation spread in his chest.

Mikoto Suoh is in danger. If he had heard it, he would have laughed with his nose. He does not believe that there are so many things in the world that can harm the Red King.

However, on the other hand, Yata trusted Fushimi in a way. He is a traitor, dark, cunning, sarcastic, disgusting, and extremely capable. If such a man says “dangerous”, it is definitely “yes”.

“What is that danger?”

“Yata-san, do you remember Mizuchi?”

Mizuchi’s name didn’t immediately stick in his head. He tilted his head, he thought for a moment and said, “Oh.”.

“Mizuchi, I’m sure he was the bad guy who kidnapped Anna and locked her up in a place called "downtown”, and Mikoto-san finally beat him up. What happened to that guy?“

Bando’s cheeks tightened with tension and he answered the question.

"He looks like he broke out of prison a while ago. He flew overseas, so he’s here in Las Vegas now.”

RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS

CHAPTER 1: “HOMURA” DIES IN A SCORCHING HEAT!

*List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun
Raws: Ridia

California, United States. Death Valley National Park.

This place, called “Death Valley”, however, despite its name, has many lives. Coyotes that roam the wild in search of food and water, bats that avoid sunlight deep in caves, kangaroo rats that need little water to live, of course all creatures can adapt to this harsh desert that has evolved over thousands of years. For creatures that are not prepared for anything, like Homo sapiens who came from Japan, a country full of forests and water, this is literally a “valley of death.”

And now, there are five figures walking down State Highway 190, swaying in the heat.

They are all dressed as stubborn. One took off his knit cap, a sweaty giant trembles, the sunglasses have a broken lens, the brown hair sticks to the skin, and the hoodie has several holes. They walk under the scorching sun, like a beggar or someone who came out of a crazy party.

The main members of “Homura”, Misaki Yata, Rikio Kamamoto, Saburota Bando, Yo Chitose and Eric Surt are in a sorry state.

“Yata-san… Las Vegas… Is there still a long way to go…?”

Bando asked, as if out of breath.

“You’re stupid… a little more… we should be able to get there in a while…”

Yata responded the same way.

“Water… anything… even muddy water… water…”

Chitose lost his vacant gaze in the dry desert.

“Oh!”

Kamamoto suddenly yelled.

“Yata-san, please look! There’s a watermelon!”

They all had no energy to react, and only vaguely saw Kamamoto’s back running towards the “watermelon” as if he were rolling. Kamamoto jumped on the “watermelon”, but the next moment it hit him with intense pain.

“What?! What kind of watermelon is this?! The thorns grew densely?!”

“Kamamoto… it’s not a watermelon, it’s a cactus…”

Yata pointed out with a pitiful voice. Kamamoto returned their gaze as if he had woken up from his dream, he looked back at the cactus and turned his gaze towards Yata and his friends.

There was a limit to Eric.

He collapsed to his knees and fell to the ground. As expected, everyone responded dramatically to that. Chitose picked Eric up and Bando quickly punched him in the cheek.

“Hey! Eric! Be firm!”

“Don’t sleep! You will die if you sleep!”

“No… that’s… water…”

Eric’s face, moving his dry lips and burying his face firmly in the ground, showed a clear phase of death. Chitose and Bando looked at Yata as if the same thing was happening to them.

“No, Yata-san! What are we going to do?!”

“At this rate, Eric will be…!”

“Well…!”

Yata clenched his fist and looked up at the sky.

Until now, he had passed through many dead zones. He thought that he could defeat any enemy with that power and the red bond.

But now, they weren’t fighting something they could swing their fists at and beat them to death. Dry land and bright sunlight, the environment itself, are his enemies. No matter what kind of talent they use, they won’t be able to escape from this dead land.

Yata could only crouch down next to Eric and scream desperately.

“Remember, Eric! Didn’t you show it to Kusanagi-san and Totsuka-san, who betrayed us?”

Chitose and Bando took a breath. Eric also rolled his dry eye and stared at Yata. Kamamoto kept looking at the cactus and wondering if he could separate it somehow.

“That’s right…! If those people hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t be about to…!”

Yata remembered what had happened and hit the ground with a clenched fist.

Yes. The whole betrayal started a month ago. It was an event at “Bar HOMRA”.

++++++++++

“I’m back.”

“Oh, Anna. Welcome back.”

It was a white-haired girl and a red-haired young man who rang the doorbell and entered.

Anna Kushina and Mikoto Suoh. Kusanagi sometimes asks them to buy the daily necessities of those who live in “Bar HOMRA”. It is up to Anna to choose the items exclusively, and Suoh’s role is to accompany Anna and carry the luggage. Suoh was still holding a cigarette and hanging a grocery bag with green onions in one hand.

Suoh put a grocery bag on the table and sat on the couch. Anna carried the bag to the counter. Kusanagi, who smiled “big”, suddenly noticed that Anna’s appearance was different from usual.

Totsuka, who was helping with the preparation, came out from behind the counter and pointed at that.

“That? Anna, is your face red?”

As Totsuka said, usually the white-wrinkled expressionless expression seemed to blush a bit. Anna shook her head to anticipate Kusanagi’s concerns that she had caught a cold.

“I understand.”

“Eh?”

“Ticket. Tour.”

The shredded words seemed to indicate Anna’s emotion. She looked cool and calm, but she was just a teenager. Whenever something happy happened, the tension rose, and Kusanagi and Totsuka had spent too much time with her to understand.

The two looked at each other, turning their necks at the same time.

“What kind of tour?”

“Anna, do you have a favorite place?”

“No. It’s this!”

It was frustrating to talk; Anna took her hand out of her pocket in front of them. The wrinkled envelope, which had been held for a long time, had the following letters on it.

“"Invitational ticket for a 10-day trip to Las Vegas, USA”?!“

"What?! What’s wrong with this?!”

“That’s why! I understand!”

Anna shook her hands and appealed with a look as to why he didn’t understand. When Kusanagi and Totsuka were about to be confused, Suoh, who was smoking a cigarette on the couch, spoke up.

“Fukubiki. Anna figured it out.”

Finally, understanding had caught up.

It is a regional promotion event held by a nearby business district. If you collect 10 stamps that you can get for every 100 yen you buy, you can try it once. Since it’s a shopping street, the prizes are just tissue boxes, salad oil, and daily necessities, but for some reason the special prize was the Las Vegas tour.

Anna picked it up, the moment she realized that, Totsuka smiled at her and praised her.

“That’s amazing! You’re lucky to have a special prize! Anna, you can be a great player in the future!”

“Hahaha.”

“No, it’s strange how a praise… Anna, can I open this?”

Anna nodded in response, Kusanagi opened the envelope with a letter opener and began examining the contents.

At that moment, the doorbell rang and several members entered. Yata, who was at the beginning, bowed to Suoh, who was lying on the couch.

“Oh, Mikoto-san! Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon!” said the others.

The people behind him, Kamamoto, Bando, Chitose, and Dewa, also greeted him. Suoh abruptly waved his hand to respond, then smoked again.

“Hey, Yata, listen. Anna is amazing!”

“Well, what did you do?”

As he listened to Totsuka’s explanation that had a smiling face, Yata and his colleagues were also excited. Yata gave Anna a thumbs up.

“That’s amazing, Anna! I wonder if there’s a once-in-a-lifetime tour of Las Vegas!”

“Yes, thanks.”

Anna smiled and answered that, suddenly shaking her head.

“By the way, where is Las Vegas?”

“No, I was happy without knowing it!”

“Las Vegas is a tourist city in Nevada, USA. There are casinos everywhere in the city, and anyone can play at any time. If you look at it, it seems that you can enjoy not only gambling, but also various shows and attractions.”

Dewa got the information about Las Vegas from his PDA and showed it to Anna. Anna was engrossed in the PDA, looking at her innocent expectations.

Adults, on the other hand…

“Big money in the casino, overflowing money… It’s spreading, the American dream!”

“This is a tourist town, so there is likely to be a lot of good food. How nice!”

“America… Girls Show… One night stands with a beautiful blonde…!”

“They should calm down a bit…”

Dewa muttered to the three people, Bando, Kamamoto, and Chitose, who talked about their naked desires without shame. Yata hit his back happily.

“Well, it’s a little better! After all, it’s ‘Homura’s’ overseas debut, right? Let’s decide here!”

“Hmm, that’s impossible, Yata-chan.”

Kusanagi, who was reading the brochure on the counter, unfortunately muttered that. Yata looked at Kusanagi with a question mark.

“Why, Kusanagi-san? It’s impossible…”

“This tour seems to be for families. Only 4 people can go.”

At that moment, something similar to an electric current ran through everyone.

“Four people?”

“That means…”

A suspicious look went back and forth between Bando, Chitose, Kamamoto and Yata. It was only natural that Anna, who won the award at the Fukubiki, would fall into that frame. There were only three spots left available, and there were seven adults there. With the addition of other key members, the opportunity will be even tighter.

Now, they had to confirm it. Who would outsmart his friends and kick them out, using any dirty hand to get the remaining three tickets to Las Vegas!

“Well, thinking normally, King and Kusanagi-san will come in, right?”

Totsuka had a delicate tone, and the remaining two seats filled up quickly.

“No, please wait a moment, Totsuka-san! Why is it like this?!”

“Huh? You can’t let Anna go alone, right? Anna’s guardians are those two, so it’s a natural choice, right?”

“Uh… no, yes, that might be the case…”

Yata glanced sideways to see Kusanagi and Suoh. Kusanagi examined the brochure, and Suoh curiously lit a second cigarette.

“Hey! Kusanagi-san runs a bar, right? Can’t you rest for 10 days?!”

“Then I’ll leave the interpreter to you, Yata-chan.”

“Eh?”

Yata rolled his eyes and looked at Kusanagi, and Kusanagi smiled and shook the brochure.

“If you go there, you’ll need an interpreter. Well, Mikoto can speak a single word and Totsuka isn’t enough to communicate.”

“But there are various troublesome things, like passports and exit procedures, right? Including such things, I think it’s better to be accompanied by a bean, Kusanagi-san.”

“Well, that’s right. It would be like burnt miso, but I think it’s fine.”

“Gah…!”

Yata was startled by the too honest opinion and backed down. And from behind, a trio of desires pushed at his back.

“No, Yata-san! Don’t lose!”

“That’s right! Our frame will shrink!”

“Please do your best, Vanguard Captain!”

A bond was a bond, even if it was lugubrious interest. Yata then nodded slightly and encouraged his voice.

“So what about Mikoto-san? I don’t think he’s interested in abroad.”

“Mikoto.”

Anna tugged on Suoh’s sleeve and asked an innocent question.

“Mikoto, aren’t you interested in Las Vegas?”

“……”

The cigarette in Suoh’s mouth turned red, exhaled smoke, and he responded.

“What happened, Las Vegas?”

Anna blinked several times as if suddenly caught. It just preceded the exotic sound of “Las Vegas,” and she probably had no expectation of what would happen. Still, she looked at Bando, Kamamoto, and Chitose in turn, and then back at Suoh.

“Money, food and the blonde beauty?”

Kusanagi looked at the three with slight annoyance, and they shrugged. But surprisingly, Suoh suddenly laughed.

“Do you want to go?”

“Yes.”

After nodding her head, Anna added as she remembered.

“I want to go with Mikoto.”

“……”

Suoh inhaled purple smoke again, then muttered.

“If so, shall we go?”

That way, the remaining two boxes were completely filled.

Yata bit his back teeth. He couldn’t help but admit defeat. He was ashamed that he backed down when he lost, and he couldn’t give up. Yata also wanted to go to Las Vegas. Or rather, he wanted to go abroad. Anna wasn’t the only one with a childish longing abroad.

Of the four places, three slots were filled. There was only one place left. Everything slipped into it. Yata hardened his fist with that determination.

“So, there’s only one more! Let’s decide! Because we’re not convinced at this rate!”

“Oh, it’s true!”

“It’s just like Yata-san says!”

“You guys…”

Kusanagi said as he weakened, but Totsuka still had a smile on his face.

“That’s right. We have to decide fairly, right?”

“That’s right! We’re friends! It must be the same between friends!”

“If so, then rock-paper-scissors is fine, right?”

“Huh?! No, that’s…”

“Come on. If it doesn’t come out, you’ll lose, Rock, Paper…”

“Uoooooooooooooh!”

Scissors.

++++++++++

And Yata, Kamamoto, Bando and Chitose were walking along the path to get home.

The sunset illuminated their faces. His facial expressions, full of sadness and regret, were like those of a lost dog. Some looked up to the sky, and some looked down, and no one tried to look at each other. If they looked at each other’s faces, they couldn’t help but feel their own defeat.

Eventually, Bando muttered.

“Well, isn’t that a suitable place? Anna will go with Mikoto-san, Kusanagi-san, and Totsuka-san.”

Chitose smiled to follow him.

“That’s right. Since they’re our top three, it’s natural for them to go, right?”

Kamamoto nodded.

“Oh, yes. Rather, I think it would have been awkward if we went. You can’t go abroad with Kusanagi-san and others!”

“That’s right! Hahahaha…”

A dry voice rang out on the way home, further emphasizing his misery.

However, there was only one person who did not try to blend into the conversation.

It was Yata.

The careless footsteps gradually slowed down and finally stopped completely. Kamamoto looked back and patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“Yata-san. Let’s give up and hope that Mikoto-san brings back souvenirs of Las Vegas.”

“Shut up!”

Yata squeezed his hand. Bando and Chitose jerked their bodies startlingly at the volume of his voice.

“You guys, isn’t it pitiful?! We must have been friends! And yet, why should we be forced into such injustice?!”

“No, it’s unfair, I lost at rock-paper-scissors, so it can’t be helped.”

“Don’t say that! I’m talking about feelings! I can’t forgive my feelings of waiting for them and burning in Japan!”

Bando gritted his teeth at Yata, who raised the flames.

“Then, what are you going to do?”

“It’s decided; we’re going to Las Vegas too!”

The words took a breath.

Go to Las Vegas. They assumed that it would not be possible without Anna’s ticket. The losers had to go home and “wait” until the winners came back.

But it is different. Las Vegas is certainly real. That place was not a dream land that could not be reached without a dream ticket, but in the United States on the sea. They remembered it in Yata’s words.

Flame lit up in Yata’s eyes. The flame of “Homura” was determined to burn without leaving blood, bones or ashes. Against that amount of heat, the Pacific Ocean, which is 10,000 km away, was just a puddle. He pointed to each and every one and gave precise instructions.

“Bando! You’re good at detailed calculations! It’s usually fine, so pay the travel expenses!”

“Well, oh, you, got it!”

“Chitose! Find out what we need and get it all! Send the money to Bando! We’ll split it later!”

“Oh, I get it!”

“Kamamoto! Prepare passports for everyone! I’ll find a good part-time job!”

“I was disappointed!”

As if Yata’s enthusiasm flared, the other three began showing motivation before he knew it. They could go to Las Vegas, no. The firm will to “go” brought them back to one clan: “Homura”.

“We’re going to Las Vegas too! Travel expenses aren’t a big deal, if you win a lot of money at the casino, it’s such a big flatulence! I’ll double it, no, I’ll pay it back, 100 times! Come on guys!”

“Oh, yes!”, replied the others.

“Oh! He’s putting on a good face! So, that’s the usual, finally!”

A red aura lit up from the hardened fist and Yata thrust out his right arm. Similarly, the other members put their glowing red arms over Yata’s and yelled all at once.

“No Bone! No Blood! No Ash!”

++++++++++

After that, the difficulties they experienced became a story in itself, but they took action on it.

By having a number of jobs that bridged the gap between black and illegal, they were able to earn as much travel expenses as they needed in two weeks. Much of their motivation was to “prove it to Kusanagi and his friends”, so they kept it a secret from the other members, even Dewa, who was with them. Akagi, Dewa, and Fujishima didn’t show their intention to go to Las Vegas, so they weren’t invited.

However, there was only one member they needed.

Namely…

“What? Vegas? I’m not interested.”

It was Eric Surt.

Born abroad, he was the only bilingual in “Homura”. When traveling abroad, where you don’t know right or left, you need someone who can understand the language. Eric wasn’t much interested in gambling, food, or blonde beauty, but was caught on the condition that “half of the travel expenses would be borne by the members” and he would eventually tag along.

And they successfully completed the exit procedure, and triumphantly left Japan.

Currently, they suffer from dry death in the “Valley of Death”.

++++++++++

“Damn, what is this?!”

Yata endured the tears that swelled with regret. There was no such thing as a drop of water that they could obtain. To survive, they shouldn’t even shed tears.

And, when Eric fell down, he pointed his trembling finger at Yata,

“No, it’s all your fault…! How could you confuse "Las Vegas” and “Los Cabos”?!“

"Oh.”

The cold gazes of the other members turned to Yata.

That was the case. Yata arranged the ticket, but it was not destined for Las Vegas, California, USA. It was Los Cabos, South Lower California, Mexico.

He notices it only after leaving the airport, but it was already too late.

They stepped on Mexican soil, not the United States.

Yata quickly apologized.

“Well, can’t I help it?! I can’t read English!”

“Then don’t make arrangements from the beginning! Usually, there were two immigration procedures, didn’t you find it strange?!”

“I don’t know because it’s my first time traveling abroad! If so, Bando would be responsible too!”

This time Bando shivered. His sunglasses had broken lenses, and the eyes behind them swam. Chitose murmured, looking at him.

“So is. I have found a Mexican who can enter the United States cheaply saying: "Travel expenses are wasteful”…“

"He was a smuggler, right? Thanks to that, we were chased by the border guards!”

“Well, everyone was happy to say, "Cheaper, better!” Isn’t it strange that I’m the only one to blame?!“

"We’ve become illegal immigrants because of you! If they find us, will we be deported?!”

“Now that you mention it, Yata-san, you had to fight the driver of the car that stopped after that!”

Under the brightly shining sun, “Homura’s” friends began to fight with each other. With death imminent from dryness, the time and calories they spent surviving should be limited, but they didn’t realize they had blood on their heads. Only Kamamoto, holding a cactus, directed his vague gaze across the road.

Kamamoto muttered.

“It’s a shadow.”

No one in “Homura” noticed that comment. They decided that it was not worth listening to the gossip of those who were beaten by the heat.

But, the comment had a more important meaning than any words that had flown out there.

“The shadow of a car.”

Chitose, who heard it for the first time, stopped arguing and looked at Kamamoto. The others also lowered their fists and looked at Kamamoto, then turned in the direction Kamamoto was looking.

There was a car approaching from beyond the horizon, beyond the bright haze of heat.

“It’s a car.”

“It’s a car!”

“Help has arrived!”

Shit fights vanished in an instant and returned to a fateful community to sustain life. Everyone took off their jackets and shook them to appeal to their existence. Yata and Bando stood in the path with their arms outstretched to stop it.

“Hey! Hey! Help me!”

“Please help!”

“Water, water! Help!”

They were desperate. Literally, if they missed this opportunity, it was only death that would be waiting for them. The boxy white vehicle slowly slowed down and stopped in front of them, perhaps because of the heat, or because they had no intention of running until they met a fool.

They all took a breath. Bando and others were crying. They could finally get out of that hell, that thought relaxed their hearts.

Between them, Yata stepped forward and looked at the driver’s seat with a tired smile.

“No, I was saved. Well, I’m sorry, but we’re headed to… Las Vegas…”

The voice suddenly became smaller.

The face in the driver’s seat was a familiar face.

The blue uniform that was worn. Black framed glasses. Beyond that, the dull eyes were stagnant, but now there was a light of joy. After taking a closer look at Yata’s awkward appearance, shirtless and even without his knitted hat, he said with a teasing tone.

“Are you asking me? If so, is there a certain way to say it, Misaki?”

Saying that, Saruhiko Fushimi laughed happily.

K ~ HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS (Novel / In progress)

*Chapter 01
*Chapter 02
*Chapter 03
* Chapter 04
* Chapter 05
* Chapter 06
* Chapter 07
* Chapter 08
* Chapter 09
* Chapter 10
* Chapter 11
* Chapter 12

Note: This story will be released on the first day of every month in Japan.

Let’s go back in time just over ten years ago when the console war between big names like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, raged in a great offensive to contrast the dominant PC base back then. A bit of history here trying to refresh the memories of gamers and non-gamers. Until the first half of 2000s PC titles were displaying the top shelves at your local Gamestop with their thick boxes as the DVD format became a standard pushing for bigger titles. At the same time console were still expanding and learning the consumer behavior of the players, but games had still little to no cross-platform so they were created for dedicated hardware.

Fast-forward today and everything is gone: video game stores have been closing with the advent of online platform like Steam and other outlets. But this is just the beginning of a new story that takes place online, where the face of gaming has been changing drastically so far. Gamers are now experiencing a whole new and different scenario of title quality and gameplay.

In the second decade of the 21st century a new different method of gaming has spawned and has been successful. Players have been shifting from purchasing a fully finished game inside a box to a platform of entertainment made of unfinished programming. Triple A titles have taken the habit of being release with the intent purpose of achieving their entirety through continuous purchases from the players. You are now getting sold video games that are meant to be consumed above their original price tag.

A funny yet realistic accountability of the gaming situation…

The rise of partially executed software for PC and eventually consoles has become (unfortunately) a common practice to yield more profit for the developers and the publishers. You are now getting the original title at a 80% out of its 100% so the remaining can be delivered to you in the following:

• deluxe game edition
  

• expansion
  

• retailer exclusive
  

But this is not the end. This is the norm now, the rest has become a much deeper problem in the last years that is costing gamers more than they originally paid for the game they wanted. Today micro-transactions of all kinds are the standard meal for the top gaming tears, which includes EA, Valve, Blizzard,  Activision, Ubisoft, and neighbors.

Off course, nobody is pushing players to open their wallets to include more digital content; however, the situation shifted from adding something extra to adding something that should have been there since the beginning, to adding something needed. The easiest analogy that comes to mind is when someone purchasing a car at the dealership is paying more for features that aren’t includeden the standard package; fair enough and everybody agrees with it. But now it has come to having to pay more to have the air conditioning and the windshield: you can still use your car but it’ll be very uncomfortable without those two necessary items.

The apex of this phenomena translated after the release of Counter Strike: Global OffensivewhenValve included its reward system of loot in the shape of a crate, which needs a key to be opened and that key costs real money. Players have to add funds from their credit card to their virtual wallet in order to be able to open such crates, which contain for the majority items of very low value that are resold for pennies. On the other hand there’s the very low chance that a rare and high valued item might spawn, it can be sold on a virtual market on Steam for hundred of dollars making some people very happy and generating a system based on chances of getting what you wish for. At worst this is gambling, at best it’s dishonesty.

In 2016Washington State Gambling CommissiongaveValve until October of the same year to end their game skin gambling. This issue came with no surprise to me since I’ve been playing Counter StrikeandTeam Fortress 2 from their releases. It was clear that something was wrong if a gaming commission knocks at your door with official papers. Despite the court battle we cannot ignore the fact that millions of players around the world have poured millions of dollars in digital and extra content outside any original gaming release price.

What does all this mean?- It means that there’s a problem in the gaming community because there’s a behavior at play which entangles the user in sliding into a practice which has become far too common: paying to win. This translates into having a large chunk of players willing to use their credit cars to achieve a status which is not granted by simply purchasing the game, but rather adding real money in order to access the full intended game.

The latest scandal of uncomfortable micro-transactions and game addiction came in the form of uproar from the player base.EA pulls out their e-commerce of digital goods in the wake of online protest from Star Wars Battlefront 2. Winning upon paying? Sounds like that recently and for some times. Forms of favorable upgrades in gaming experiences are around to push the user into spending more to enhance the game quality. But the worst part if how casual EA executed the whole thing from the beginning by allowing this pay-to-win system to be released: purchase this item to easily win against other players and not by skill.

It’s worrisome that we have reached the slot machine level that Las Vegas does to enjoy what was just recently a standard gaming experience. Gambling forms of video games platform shouldn’t be there for players to go through, because this entertainment square is widely open to kids who are minors and don’t understand the concept of what gambling is and how does it work, especially when you allow it inside their favorite games. The line between fun and sorrow easily blurs and disappears. 

Gaming addiction can only become worse when the legitimization of real money in video game gambling becomes the norm, which in part has been happening in the realm of digital products .I can only hope that game developers along publishers understand the basic relationship of digital entertainment: a virtual game for a virtual fun. That’s all.